


In Death We Meet

by oldmancat



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 20:54:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17169221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldmancat/pseuds/oldmancat
Summary: Bruce was dead, he knew that much. There was no way he could have survived.





	In Death We Meet

Bruce was dead, he knew that much. 

He vividly remembered the repeating blow of a bat of his stomach and face and saw the flash of the last explosion under his eyes. He could feel the heat burning his skin, tearing up his back. There was no way his body could have survived, no way he could still be alive.

But here he was, standing in the doorway of the Manor's most southern sitting room, watching a woman who looked exactly like Selina Kyle pet a cat on the couch facing the door. 

He watched her for a while, taking in her long and thick eyelashes, her lips that were painted a rosy pink and her flowy black dress. Her skin was beautifully in between tan and pale, that perfect mixture that only she could achieve. She wore those pearls he had given to her as a gift three years ago and the engagement ring.

Bruce desperately wanted to go over to her and bring his fingers through her hair that he imagined would be soft, but she wasn't real. There was no way. Even then, he could almost feel her hair underneath his fingers, remembering how it felt last night when they went to bed after patrol. Bruce closed his eyes sadly at the memory. They had laid for hours, content to just play with each others hair and doze. It had been so nice. But he was dead now.

He didn't notice when the Selina on the couch got up, picked up the cat and walked over to him.

“Here,” Her voice felt just like real life, “Pet the kitty, Bat.”

“But,” He choked out, “You can't be-”

“Shh, darling,” the Selina interrupted, “Pet the cat.”

She was smiling softly, holding the cat tightly to her chest. Bruce could have sworn they were both purring. He petted the cat gently and let it smell and lick his fingers.

“It feels just like a real cat,” Bruce whispered, “But where am I?”

“Does it really matter?”

“Yes. I have to say goodbye to the kids, and Alfred, and the League. I need to get back to them.”

“It's okay, darling, it's okay. You don't need to worry about them anymore.”

Selina was no longer holding a cat, instead she was pressed up against his body, gently caressing Bruce’s face and pushing his hair back with careful fingers.

“Have you met me? Worrying is all I do.”

Selina snorted at that. “True, but you need to learn to let go. They'll survive without you.”

“But I can't survive without them,” he paused awkwardly, “I'm dead, aren't I?” He wasn't really sure anymore.

Selina smiled sadly and cocked her head to the side a bit. “Yeah,” she paused and looked down, “They're going to miss you a lot.”

Bruce nodded, and studied her face for the millionth time. Maybe she was Selina. It wouldn't be that hard to believe considering this one had the exact same face as his Selina. The same little scar where she had been hit by her sister's bully. And the little freckle on her left jaw. She had the same uneven eyelid crease, even. She was an exact copy of the real counterpart. They stayed in the embrace for a few more moments, Bruce just trying to memorize her face one more time.

“Am I meant to stay with you?” Bruce questioned the woman.

“If you want, we're not very judgy.”

“‘We're’?”

“Ever the detective, aren't you?”

“Yes, I've been told it's a flaw.”

Even if she wasn't real, their conversations sure felt just like real life. In fact, Bruce was pretty sure they had had almost the exact same conversation a year ago. She would have told him that his memory was freaky.

“You're handling this very well,” Selina said, breaking their contact, “Most start freaking out by now.”

They were suddenly no longer in the doorway, but in front of the couch. 

“It's not my first time,” Bruce remarked.

Selina chuckled and sat down, patting the space next to her. Bruce sat down and held out his hand for her to take. After she took it, he rubbed his thumb over her fingers gently, trying to be at peace.

He looked at their intertwined hands, suddenly overwhelmed with cold sadness. A couple tears fell onto their hands and Selina grabbed his face, wiping away the tears. Bruce let go of her hands, also grabbing at his face. 

“I love them so much, and I'll never get to tell them again.”

Selina shushed him, hugging his head to her chest and resting her chin on the back of his head. “They knew, don't worry.”

“Did she know I loved her?” Bruce asked, and the Selina holding him didn't have to ask who he was talking about. 

“More than you will ever know,” she said, petting his hair, “Sure, she'll be angry for a while, but she'll forgive you. I think she knows that you would have spent every minute with her if you could have.”

“You're just like her. The way you look and talk, it's just like her.”

“That's the point,” Selina said, “Y’know what? Tell her that you love her. Right here, right now, I'll do my best acting.”

Bruce sat up and wiped the last few tears away and looked her straight in the eye. “I love you, Selina Kyle.”

“That was hard for you to say, wasn't it?” Selina smirked, “You never were good with emotions.”

Bruce grimaced. “No, I wasn't, was I?”

Selina motioned for him to come closer to her. “Can we lay down?” Bruce nodded and put his arms around her.

Despite the comfortable position, Bruce hurt more than dying actually had. His last words to his children had been warnings, not what he had wanted to say. When was the last time he had told them he loved them? He wouldn't get the chance ever again.

And Selina? With her perfect green eyes and black hair… They were supposed to get married in a month. They were going to get married. How could he leave her? Would she be okay? Bruce wished he could have told the real her all that she meant, not just this whatever-it-was. Hopefully she would find someone who made her happy to marry. And who didn't die.

He slowly sank into his obsessive thoughts, circling around and around through all of the mistakes he had made while alive. A criminal here, a civilian death there, Bruce was responsible for a lot of pain. All of which he felt responsible for. The Selina must have felt him falling into his thoughts, so she had grabbed his hand and was rubbing circles into it. Bruce sighed into her hair. It hurt so much.

Bruce mourned for what seemed like hours, just laying with the Selina. She rubbed his hand the entire time, sending support through tiny gestures, like they had always done. Eventually, she had fallen asleep, making her little purring snores.

Real or not, Bruce decided she was absolutely perfect. She had a special way of making the awful situations so much less so. Her presence was enough to make some men cry, but with Bruce she had always been so….soft? Comforting? Whatever it was, it sure felt lovely.

And so, they laid together on the couch soaking up the late afternoon light until the Thoughts began to leave his head. They laid together until Bruce had managed to reconcile his grief and started to pull himself together. They laid together until it didn't hurt so much anymore.

"I love you," Bruce whispered, just before falling asleep. Selina just smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic posted anywhere (Can you tell?)!!! Sorry that it's probably awful, but you know how it is.
> 
> Also: if the formatting is weird, it's because I'm on mobile. And I cried a little while writing this.


End file.
